What I've been up to and 3 giveaways!

I know, I haven't been on in a while, but I've been a busy girl!
I went to Tennessee for a week, visited with family and some friends. Realized a week is not nearly enough to see everyone you want.. Especially when you have as much family as I do. While home, I made the Decision that I'm going to redecorate, well.. actually decorate (our place is quite boring) while the husband is out to sea.

I got back to Virginia last Wednesday, Friday I went thrifting with Brittany found some awesome deals. Went looking for a bookshelf..  bout everything BUT a bookshelf. Go figure. But Found a really cute little table.. PERFECT for a bedside table for JUST $14. Yes, I'm STILL excited. I gathered my ideas for the bedroom.. and am slowly getting there. It's time consuming and Oh so much fun... I'm calling this my "While you're away Project" because I'm doing little by little while my husband is underway. He doesn't know this either.. so I'm hoping He'll love the bedroom when he comes home.. Hopefully I'll be finished this week! :)

I'll blog, with Pictures after I finish.. but if you want some sort of updates on my project; check out my Facebook album The While You're Away project.

Now, I'm taking a break to finally blog.. or shall I say Update my readers.

I'm going to be doing a Giveaway soon. It'll be just one person who gets the Item. I have bought a book, Well actually I bought 2 (1 for me, 1 for the give away), I decided to buy 2 to give one away to one of my readers. I'm going to Do this one a little differently than my last 2 contests.. so, Be looking forward to that this week. I may post it tonight.. depends on how wrapped up I get with painting furniture this evening (can ya tell I'm really into this whole decorating thing?!)

 And some of you know, I design shirts for military significant others. Not too long ago, I created a Facebook fan page. I'm trying to get up to 350 "likes" and I will be hosting a giveaway. One lucky fan will get a free customized shirt... but for the contest to start and for me to tell the rules.. I have to get to 350! So, Check out CRushGFX on Facebook and "Like" me... Send me to your friends too ;).

So, there ya have it! Two great Givea... wait a minute.. I have another one too! Yes.. there's a 3rd! Making up for all the time I've been away ;)

I've started my own photography business recently. I recently created a Facebook page for it as well. Once I get to 350 "Likes" on there, I will be giving away a free shoot to someone in the Hampton Roads, VA area. So, Check out my photography and "Like" me.. Christina Rush Photography.

I've noticed Lots of Ladies are hosting giveaways lately.. August must be Giveaway month! I LOVE it. :)

Song On Repeat: 8-9-2010

This is one of my all time favorite songs. The Lyrics are great.. especially for any Navy wives. I was so happy when Leigh Nash went solo.. LOVED her with Sixpence none the Richer, but when the band broke up.. I was heart broken. But seriously, she's amazing. <3 I've had this song on my playlist for quite some time now. I was happy to share it with friends online forever ago. And today, It's on repeat for me.

The Navy has it SO EASY!

Title catch your attention? I know there are Navy wives and girlfriends that have read that and said, "Oh no she didnt!". But it was for that reason I titled it that.. to catch your attention. I don't agree with it... it's actually something I have read a few people post that totally irks me.

I hear so many people who say this.. that have no experience with the Navy lifestyle What so ever! People who turn it into a branch battle.. Which shouldn't happen, They fight for the SAME things. For you, for me, For everyone, this country, for FREEDOM.

Let me just give you a taste of what the Navy lifestyle throws our way, just because It seems that so many have a skewed view on it.


Our men go on Deployment!
This is where I hear, "Well at least it's not a year!"... or, "Well the Navy only goes out for 4-6 months, unlike [insert other branch here], so he'll be home in no time.". Wrong! Yeah sure, some of the deployments are 4-6 months.. BUT not always. PLUS there is more to the Navy than ships than so many seem to believe.. c'mon people. With Carriers, if they are not going out to temporarily fill in for another ship, they are out for a MINIMUM of 6 months, which in every case I have seen, has turned into more! AND they do what's called "World Cruises". It may sound like a vacation, but it's not. World cruises are 9-11 months and and I have read of several ships that went out 13  months during a world cruise. They don't just sit out there in a "Tin Can" and "Party it up" like some have it in their heads. Some seem to believe it's all fun and games and they don't carry a gun.. blah blah blah. If this was the case.. my husband wouldn't have joined the Navy. Plus, knowing my husband's Rate and also his TDY  status doing 2 jobs.. I know how dangerous it can be for my husband on a day to day basis, out to sea and in port. It's not at all how some see it.

Also, Ships don't get R&R with their families. They go out and are gone til the Deployment is done.

Pirate Ships are REAL!
As comical and a myth as it may seem.. They are still around. They shoot at the Navy ships, Attack ships, They've been known to hijack vacation cruise ships, etc. Every Carrier I have known to go out on deployment since I have been a Navy wife (2 years now) has encountered pirate ship(s).


There is more than Just Ships to the Navy!
I know 2 guys with the Navy who are currently in Afghanistan fighting right this very moment. One is on a shorter deployment, but he's working with the Seals, which is one of the hardest things in the Navy. The other guy I know I know over there is a friend of mine and my husband's. He is from my husband's ship and is working alongside the Army for just as long as the Soldiers who he is fighting with, a year. And when he comes home.. He'll shortly after meet up with his ship for yet another deployment. I know another guy who is about to leave to fight alongside the Army.

Also, the Navy Corpsmen , are over there with the Marines. Just because they are over there for medical, doesn't mean they don't face the heat of gunfire. They are out in the field as well, getting shot at, fighting alongside the marines.

I could continue with "Deployments", but I hope I already made my point. Let me Continue with another part of "Navy Life".

 Continuous Training.. Also known as "Workups"
Ok, Let me tell you how things work with the Navy ships.. We have what's called "Workups". Where they go out for weeks to more than a month out to sea at a time, come home for a few days, sometimes we're lucky enough to get a week or two, but they go back out. This lasts for Months to a Year before the actual deployment. It's constant in and out.. Constant adjusting to them being gone. You finally get a grip on them being gone, and they come home and you have to readjust to them being home and sometimes before you can completely adjust, they are out and in again... making it a never-ending cycle of adjusting and readjusting. It can become stressful for a wife, for the Sailor.. and even more so on the child of the service member- the Navy Junior, or Navy Brat as some call them.

My husband has been gone nearly 85% of the time or MORE since April with these workups. Thankfully, I work well under stress, but Yes, I admit.. there are times where it gets to be a lot to handle and a near break down can occur. I haven't broke down yet, and I'm going to try my hardest to stay as strong as I have for this.  But this is just the beginning of this journey. I have only spent maybe 10-15 days with my husband since April- if that, because of his job.

The point of this isn't to argue "Navy Life".. the point of this blog is to hopefully open the minds of the people who are closed minded and try to one up other branches. It's the same for all of us. We all go through the same things. Our Husbands, the service members are all fighting battles of this war. They are ALL FIGHTING. They work together... whether you want to see it or not, they are all employed by the DOD, they have the same purpose... and more people need to see that.

Learning to Appreciate Red Lights

Welp, The husband is out again, workup number 7 or 8 since April? I've lost track.. he's been away nearly 85%  or more of the time since then. It's crazy to think, but the time has flown by... now, Deployment is nearing. We'll get through that just as we have these past months.

As I drove to base today, to see my Sailor off.. We were sitting at a red light, at first I was thinking about how long the red light was.. then I smiled. It's the little moments we take for granted. It was the last few minutes I had with my husband, Why rush it? My mentality changed completely.. I wanted the red light to last just a little bit longer. A few more minutes of conversation with my best friend.

 Sadly, Red lights turn green, my husband is probably napping on the boat by now, and I'm here pecking away on this keyboard. I'm content. Sure, I'm going to miss him.. well, I miss him a little bit right now.. but I'm thankful I was able to embrace the extra minutes that were granted by something so simple.. A red light.

Days like today... you learn to appreciate red lights, because every extra minute with him means so much.